Diascia plant named ‘Sunjodiropi’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Diascia  plant named ‘Sunjodiropi’, characterized by its semi-upright and mounding plant habit; long and strong flowering stems; early and long flowering period; numerous large light dark rose pink-colored flowers; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Diascia hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘SUNJODIROPI’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Diasciaplant, botanically known as Diascia hybrida, and hereinafter referred toby the name ‘Sunjodiropi’.

The new Diascia plant is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the Inventors in St. Brides, Netherwent, Monmouthshire,United Kingdom. The objective of the breeding program is to create newDiascia plants with long and strong flowering stems and large attractiveflowers.

The new Diascia plant originated from a cross-pollination conducted bythe Inventors on Jun. 7, 2008 in St. Brides, Netherwent, Monmouthshire,United Kingdom with a proprietary selection of Diascia hybridaidentified as code number d1001, not patented, as the female, or seed,parent and with a proprietary selection of Diascia hybrida identified ascode number d76, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The newDiascia plant was discovered and selected by the Inventors as a singleflowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollinationin a controlled greenhouse environment in St. Brides, Netherwent,Monmouthshire, United Kingdom on Aug. 20, 2008.

Asexual reproduction of the new Diascia plant by vegetative cuttings ina controlled greenhouse environment in St. Brides, Netherwent,Monmouthshire, United Kingdom since Aug. 20, 2008 has shown that theunique features of this new Diascia plant are stable and reproduced trueto type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Diascia have not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment and cultural practices such as temperature andlight intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Sunjodiropi’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Sunjodiropi’ as a new and distinct cultivar ofDiascia plant:

-   -   1. Semi-upright and mounding plant habit.    -   2. Long and strong flowering stems.    -   3. Early and long flowering period.    -   4. Numerous large dark rose pink-colored flowers.    -   5. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Diascia can be compared to plants of the female parentselection. Plants of the new Diascia differ primarily from plants of thefemale parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Diascia have longer flowering stems than        plants of the female parent selection.    -   2. Plants of the new Diascia have larger flowers than plants of        the female parent selection.

Plants of the new Diascia can be compared to plants of the male parentselection. Plants of the new Diascia differ primarily from plants of themale parent selection in cold hardiness as plants of the new Diascia aremore cold hardy than plants of the male parent selection.

Plants of the new Diascia can be compared to plants of the Diasciabarbarae ‘Diastu’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,949. Inside-by-side comparisons conducted in St. Brides, Netherwent,Monmouthshire, United Kingdom, plants of the new Diascia differedprimarily from plants of ‘Diastu’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Diascia were semi-upright whereas plants of        ‘Diastu’ were outwardly spreading.    -   2. Plants of the new Diascia were larger than plants of        ‘Diastu’.    -   3. Plants of the new Diascia had thicker flowering stems than        plants of ‘Diastu’.    -   4. Plants of the new Diascia had longer leaves than plants of        ‘Diastu’.    -   5. Plants of the new Diascia and ‘Diastu’ differed in flower        color.    -   6. Flower spurs of plants of the new Diascia were positioned        towards the flower whereas flower spurs of plants of ‘Diastu’        were positioned away from the flower.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new Diascia plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Diascia plant.

The photograph at the top of the sheet is a side perspective view of atypical flowering plant of ‘Sunjodiropi’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet is a close-up view of atypical inflorescence of ‘Sunjodiropi’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurementsand values describe plants grown in 15-cm containers in an outdoornursery in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan and under cultural practices typicalof commercial Diascia production. During the production of the plants,day temperatures averaged 23° C. and night temperatures averaged 13° C.Plants were four months old when the description was taken and fivemonths old when the photographs were taken. In the followingdescription, color references are made to The Royal HorticulturalSociety Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms ofordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Diascia hybrida ‘Sunjodiropi’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Diascia            hybrida identified as code number d1001, not patented.        -   Male or pollen parent.—Proprietary selection of Diascia            hybrida identified as code number d76, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—By vegetative cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About two weeks at 18° C.        -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 18 days at 18° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About two            weeks at 18° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About 18 days            at 18° C.        -   Root description.—Fibrous; white in color.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant form and growth habit.—Semi-upright plant habit;            vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit with numerous            lateral branches developing per plant.        -   Plant height.—About 33.3 cm.        -   Plant diameter (area of spread).—About 37.5 cm.-   Lateral branch description:    -   -   Length.—About 25 cm.        -   Diameter.—About 2.7 mm.        -   Internode length.—About 2.7 cm.        -   Texture.—Sparsely pubescent; longitudinally ridged.        -   Color.—Close to 144A tinted with close to 59A.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, simple.        -   Length.—About 2.9 cm.        -   Width.—About 2.2 cm.        -   Shape.—Ovate.        -   Apex.—Obtuse.        -   Base.—Cordate.        -   Margin.—Serrate.        -   Texture, upper surface.—Smooth, glabrous.        -   Texture, lower surface.—Pubescent.        -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.        -   Color.—Developing and fully expanded leaves, upper surface:            Close to 137B; venation, close to 137B. Developing and fully            expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 138B; venation,            close to 138B.        -   Petiole.—Length: About 1.7 mm. Diameter: About 2.7 mm.            Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color,            upper and lower surfaces: Close to 144B.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower arrangement and habit.—Large single flowers arranged            on terminal racemes; flowers zygomorphic with five lobes            fused at the base and spurred; freely flowering habit with            about 21 flowers per raceme; flowers face outwardly.        -   Fragrance.—None detected.        -   Flowering response and natural flowering season.—Early            flowering habit, plants begin flowering about three weeks            after planting; plants flower freely and continuously from            the spring into the fall in Japan.        -   Flower longevity.—Flowers last about five days on the plant;            flowers not persistent.        -   Inflorescence height.—About 7.2 cm.        -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 3.4 cm.        -   Flower diameter.—About 1.6 cm by 1.7 cm.        -   Flower depth.—About 4.8 mm.        -   Flower buds.—Length: About 4 mm. Diameter: About 4.7 mm.            Shape: Spherical. Color: Close to 62B.        -   Corolla.—Arrangement: Corolla consists of five petals            modified into two upright banner petals, two lateral petals            and a larger lower lip petal. Banner lobe length: About            5.4 mm. Banner lobe width: About 6.9 mm. Lateral lobe            length: About 5.9 mm. Lateral lobe width: About 6.9 mm.            Lower lobe length: About 9 mm. Lower lobe width: About 1 cm.            Banner and lateral lobes shape: Orbicular. Lower lobe shape:            Transversely broadly elliptical. Banner, lateral and lower            lobes apex: Rounded. Banner, lateral and lower lobes margin:            Entire. Banner, lateral and lower petals texture, upper and            lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Spur length: About 5 mm.            Spur diameter: About 2 mm. Spur orientation: Positioned            towards the flower or pointed inwardly. Color, banner,            lateral and lower petals: When opening and fully opened,            upper surface: Lighter than 51B; towards the base of the            basal petal, close to 6B; color becoming closer to 64D with            development. When opening and fully opened, lower surface:            Lighter than 54B; towards the base of the basal petal, close            to 6B. Spur: Close to 64B.        -   Sepals.—Appearance: Five sepals fused into a star-shaped            calyx. Length: About 2 mm. Width: About 1.1 mm. Shape:            Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and            lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, immature and            mature, upper surface: Close to 144B. Color, immature and            mature, lower surface: Close to 138B.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 1.8 cm. Diameter: About 1.2 mm.            Angle: Mostly erect. Texture: Pubescent. Color: Close to            144A.        -   Pedicels.—Length: About 1.25 cm. Diameter: About 0.3 mm.            Angle: About 45° from the peduncle axis. Texture: Smooth,            glabrous. Color: Close to 144B tinted with close to 70C.        -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Stamen number per flower:            About four. Stamen length: About 2 mm. Anther shape:            Bi-lobed, elliptic. Anther length: About 1 mm. Anther color:            Close to 7A. Amount of pollen: Scarce. Pollen color: Close            to 4A. Gynoecium: Pistil number per flower: One. Pistil            length: About 2.4 mm. Style length: About 1.1 mm. Stigma            shape: Orbicular. Stigma color: Close to 145C. Ovary color:            Close to 144C.        -   Seeds and fruits.—Seed and fruit production have not been            observed on plants of the new Diascia.-   Garden performance: Plants of the new Diascia have been observed to    have good garden performance and to tolerate wind, rain and    temperatures ranging from about 5° C. to about 35° C.-   Pathogen & pest resistance: Plants of the new Diascia have not been    observed to be resistant to pests and pathogens common to Diascia    plants.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Diascia plant named ‘Sunjodiropi’as illustrated and described.